Ugliest US state flag

[democracyindanger]

Sorry, Colorado. While you've got a beautiful state with majestic mountain ranges, your flag got beaten with the ugly stick.

Sure, Oregon and Kansas deserve criticism for the sheer laziness (State seal on a blue field), and Arizona could lose points for looking an awful lot like the Viet Cong banner (although it gets points for the sheer bizarrity of it), Colorado, there have been 1st grade Colorforms art projects with better aesthetics. In fact, every Colorforms art project ever created by the most sticky-fingered, focused-on-recess 1st grader is light years ahead. In scientific experiments, 9 out of 10 times your flag has been confused as a visual puzzle (the most popular response was: "It's an overhead view of...uh...something walking down the middle of a street.")

Colorado: Towering peaks, crisp mountain breezes, strong liberal enclaves, and one ugly damn flag.

[Jara sang]

1. Ilkie Colorados

it is better than just the state seal, like every other state

[uppityperson]

3. Wow, long sig line.

Didn't know that was possible.

[democracyindanger]

31. Your misspelling in your post's header

suggests you may be under the influence of narcotics, thus imparing your judgment.

Colorado: Great skiing, an NFL team with a donkey as a mascot, ugly damn flag.

[melnjones]

2. LOL!

Never seen the flag, but it is pretty awesome. Good times.

[Archae]

4. Don't forget James Dobson.

Why he decided to pollute Colorado, I'll never know.

[democracyindanger]

5. It's possible that Colorado's ugly-ass flag

may have been a contributing factor in drawing Dobson's ugly-ass beliefs.

[tyedyeto]

6. Well....

Arizona flag



Viet Cong flag


No rays on the VC one that I could see, but 1/2 red, 1/2 blue similarities. And the star in the AZ one is Red, not yellow.

[democracyindanger]

11. It's almost as if

the Japanese military went to Arizona with a Viet Cong flag and said, "Our rising sun, their flag and...Ditat Deus!"

But no worries. Colorado still has the ugliest damn flag.

[sasquatch]

7. I'll have to agree but I think Maryland's flag gets dishonorable mention

[Zuni]

25. oh hell no. uh-uh

:grr: :grr: :grr:

[sasquatch]

43. LOL, face the awful truth Zuni, with a flag that ugly only a worm like-

Art Modell would steal from one city to live under a banner like that.
;)

[Blue-Jay]

8. Maryland is pretty horrid.

WTF?

[tyedyeto]

9. Is that 3-D or something? LOL n/t

[Zuni]

26. It is called a coat of arms...

:mad:

[Crazy Guggenheim]

10. What?!?!?! That is the most disgusting flag!

[Zuni]

22. ....

:grr:

[melnjones]

12. holy crap! nt

[democracyindanger]

15. At least you could picture Maryland's flag

on a medieval knight's shield, charging into battle.

Colorado's could only be seen on the front of a fake embassy of a made-up nation in a 1974 TV movie of the week.

[Zuni]

21. No you didn't

Oh hell no....

[Blue-Jay]

28. Nothing against the state or it's denizens, mind you.

But that's an ugly fuckin' flag, and you know it.

[Zuni]

29. I honestly like it

It reminds me of a coat of arms or a battle colour

I am just joking about getting all mad, but somebody has got to defend Murlin's honor

[newfaceinhell]

49. I like it too

It always strikes me as carrying a real sense of history; it looks more like the flag of a Swiss canton than of a US state.

[fujiyama]

54. It looks like

one of those checkerboard flags used for race car events (like formula 1 ).

[tjwmason]

58. It's gorgeous

It actually looks like a flag - whereas most state flags are just pointless made-up nonsense. Along with the flag of the District this is derived from a proper vexiological back-ground (Lord Baltimore's coat of arms, if I remember correctly).

[Tom Kitten]

13. why does Oregon deserve criticism ?

It's the omly state flag that is different on each side...Granted the state seal is on one side...

but on the other side is the beaver!

[democracyindanger]

17. No worries

And as a born and bred Oregonian, if there was any bias, it would be pro. But I am not so blinded that I cannot admit the lack of effort.

And that is one sad-looking beaver. They could've at least stolen some decent line art.

[ThoughtCriminal]

14. No way

I like that flag. The worst are the one's that have complex state seals that are unrecognizable.

A state flag should be drawable by a child.

My favorite: Alaska

[democracyindanger]

33. Yes, Alaska also gets points for its utility

All explorers should carry an Alaskan flag as part of their survival kit.

However, not only can Colorado's flag be drawn by a child, a child could draw a much better one.

[ThoughtCriminal]

38. Alaska's flag was designed by a child

"The winner of the contest was a seventh grade Aleut student, thirteen year old John Bell (Benny) Benson, from Chignik. He was living in an orphanage in Seward, the Jesse Lee Mission Home, at the time of the contest."

http://www.netstate.com/states/symb/flags/ak_flag.htm

[MrSandman]

16. It looks like a mature Ohio flag...nt

[ThoughtCriminal]

18. How's this for Ugly?

[democracyindanger]

20. Yes, the ugliness of the political history

related to the 'Stars and Bars' cannot be denied. However, I'm talking about pure aesthetics.

Morally, that's an ugly flag.

Aesthetically, Colorado's is still butt-ass ugly.

[Archae]

19. You want an ugly state flag?

Try Wisconsin's.
Blue, with this on it:

[sasquatch]

23. I think the word "Forward" is a nod to their German culture

[democracyindanger]

24. Frankly, that's more confusing than ugly

I am mesmerized by the dog/beaver/turd creature.

[Archae]

35. It's supposed to be a badger.

n/t

[democracyindanger]

36. Now I am mesmerized

trying to see a badger.

Is this one of those stare-at-this-pattern-while-unfocusing-your-eyes puzzles? If so, the flag gets points for difficulty.

[last_texas_dem]

46. LOL

>>I am mesmerized by the dog/beaver/turd creature.>>

That cracked me up!

[DeposeTheBoyKing]

27. I love the Kansas flag!

Love the motto, "Ad Astra Per Aspera" (To the Stars Through Difficulties)

[sallydallas124]

37. I've seen the flag a million times

but I haven't really looked at it closely. It's weird. It's like a tribute to our famous serial killers.

[usedtobesick]

30. you've won the new state motto contest...

you could work up new mottos for the other 49 states

[Bok_Tukalo]

32. I don't know about ugly,

but any flag that has drug paraphernalia in is OK (yes, pun intended) with me.

[Hissyspit]

34. Alaska is coolest. No question.

[Sufi Marmot]

39. Have you guys seen this website?

Everyone's critiquing of US State flags reminded me of this website, which for some reason I find hysterically funny... ("Do not attempt to disprove the four-colour theorem on your flag!")

-SM, closet vexillogist

[melnjones]

40. Indiana's is good. I like it.

[melnjones]

41. What's the deal with Alabama?

[democracyindanger]

42. Brazen in its simplicity, and utilitarian

by reminding all Alabamians what their signature is.

Yes, that was a cheap shot. But a funny cheap shot.

[gmoney]

56. It means the image did not load...

(sick reply removed in deference to political correctness)

[melnjones]

44. Delaware..

is a little drab, if you ask me.

[BlueJazz]

45. Florida's Flag is not too Bad....

[Abelman]

47. Michigan's

is one of those dumb state seal on a flag flags. It could have been way cooler, but...

Alaska's, as has been stated, is way cool.

[last_texas_dem]

48. I kinda like Colorado's

It always makes me think of the Chicago Cubs, though; probably 'cause of the big red "c."

AL's and NV's are both on the boring side, but I don't think any of the state flags are jaw-droppingly ugly.

[newfaceinhell]

50. mississipi

[newfaceinhell]

51. or Mississippi, even

:dunce:

[Anarcho-Socialist]

52. England's flag

We're not officially a state yet - just give us a few years. Our foreign policy is already decided in Washington.

[tjwmason]

59. It has the noble simplicity which we are supposed to have as well

Though it is modern English flag - being only about 700 years old.

[jukes]

53. georgia

changes flags more often than most inhabitants change underwear.

also, each incarnation seems to be an attempt to sneak in their racist heritage whilst whistling.

[tjwmason]

57. Aesthetically I love the Georgia flag

I know full well the 'questionable' nature of the current Stars and Bars flag, and the former flag which incorporated the Confederate Battle Flag; but that one they had between the two was just pointless naff and ugly.

Personally speaking, I would not rate many U.S. state flags very highly, but in Georgia's would be up there.

It's bad to say, but the Confederates had the art of making tasteful flags.

[d_b]

55. The Alaskan flag is my favorite

[tjwmason]

60. Colorado, also S. Carolina, Ohio, & Alaska

Alaska looks like somebodys taken a paint-brush and flicked it at a plain blue flag.


S. Carolina - need one say more.


Ohio - really is there any need?

On the other hand - good state flags (I'm talking aesthetically and vexiologically here folks, historical circumstances certainy count against some of these):

D.C. (I know it's not a state, but a good flag), Texas, N. Carolina, Mississippi (note disclaimer above), Maryland, Hawaii, Georgia, Florida, Alabama.